This description relates to concurrent process execution.
Referring to FIG. 1, multiple processes 10 (also called applications or programs) can be run, for example, by corresponding processors 12 (e.g., computers) that are located at different nodes 14 of a network 16. The concurrent execution can be managed by the processes sending and receiving network data packets 18 that conform to, for example, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Correct delivery of the TCP data packets is facilitated by identifying, in each packet, source and destination addresses 20, 22 on the network of the nodes at which the data packet is being sent and received, and source and destination port numbers 24, 26 at the sending and receiving nodes that have been reserved by the sending and receiving processes for the connection on which the data packets are to be carried. The TCP permits a limited number of ports to be reserved at a given node by providing a 16-bit addressable port space (0-65535).